Hispanic Heritage Month

Why September 15-October 15?

In 1968 Hispanic Heritage Week was established. September 15th was chosen as the start date because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Hispanic and Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico's Independence Day on Sept. 16 and Chile's on Sept. 18. In 1988, the week was expanded into a month but the start date remained the same.

According to the National Museum of the American Latino:

The LatinX presence in America spans centuries, predating Spain’s colonization of what is now part of the United States, and they have been an integral part of shaping our nation since the Revolutionary War. Through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Treaty of Paris that followed the Mexican-American and Spanish-American wars, the United States gained territories in the Southwest and Puerto Rico. This incorporated the people of this area into the United States and further expanded the presence of Hispanic Americans.

Why we prefer LatinX:

Hispanic refers to someone whose heritage is from Spain and is generally used to identify Spanish-speaking countries. LatinX/Latine is a gender-neutral term that refers to all people with Latin American heritage and includes non-Spanish speakers. The LatinX population in the US today is over 60 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This month we recognize the contributions of Latinx Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.  We celebrate not only the contributions from the past but those that continue and we celebrate them every day of the year as US Heritage and History.

Want to explore more LatinX history and culture? Here’s a good resource to get you started.